Student-Athlete Wellbeing 1 STUDENT-ATHLETE WELLBEING AND PERSISTENCE: An In-depth Look at Student-Athlete Perceptions By:

This study investigated student-athlete perceptions of wellbeing, delimited to satisfaction regarding Athletic Department Policies and Practices, Educational Characteristics, Institutional Facilities and Services, and intent to academically persist. The study employed quantitative and qualitative data queries. This paper reports emergent findings specific to the seven student-athletes (5 male and 2 female, 4 team-sports and 3 individual-sports) who participated in the follow-up interviews. These findings revealed that the student-athletes: (a) recognized, albeit at times somewhat reluctantly, their role, responsibilities and agency in terms of their academic progress, and instructional (faculty to student-athlete and non-athlete to student-athlete) communications and relationships; (b) acknowledged reliance, appropriately so, on the Athletic Department (administrators and staff/coaches) in terms of assistance in understanding and complying with NCAA rules, regulations and eligibility requirements; (c) were aware of and made at least limited use of institution-based academic content support services; and (d) saw and valued themselves as students and student-athletes